Sunday, October 12, 2008

The Korean series "There She Is!!" is probably the most charming Flash cartoon on the internet. After the original episode and the sequel, "Cake Dance," a long time passed before the next episode was completed. The series got sponsored by a corporation, but this meant that the availability of future releases was in question. Eventually, I stopped checking the site, having somewhat given up on seeing the rest of the series.

Today I checked the site and, to my surprise and delight, there were not one, but two new episodes! You can check out the entire series here:

The story focuses on a girl rabbit, Doki, who falls in love with a boy cat, Nabi. In their world, however, love between rabbits and cats is forbidden. The series explores prejudice and its effects on young love.

I should warn you that the episodes get darker as they go on, as societal pressure mounts on our two adorable heroes. The fourth episode is especially dark, but I have no doubt that the fifth episode, when it is released, will make everything all right.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

As I was sailing the aether of the Google Nebula, trying to discover the hidden secrets of Dungeons and Dragons, when I came across these videos. Known as Dungeon Majesty, they feature four female players and a male Dungeon Master playing D&D, with much bluescreen and simple animation being used to illustrate the action. The link I originally found described the show in not-entirely-flattering terms as lacking polish and production value, but at least partially making up for that in heart and enthusiasm. I transferred the file to my computer via the aetherospheric network, expecting to watch maybe a minute or two and get a chuckle out of it. I found myself watching the entire show. True, the effects are lackluster, though they are better than I expected. It is also true that the show tries to sell itself with the appeal of women playing D&D.

What surprised me, however, was the nostalgia involved in the show. The players really seem to enjoy playing their characters, and the Dungeon Master tries to breathe new life into the stale air of the dungeon crawl.

This is what D&D should be all about: friends gathering together to have fun and tell a story. They did not need fancy races or exotic abilities. They just need friends, dice, and a dungeon. If you like D&D, or if you have long wondered what this game entails, check out the video.